A big Week 1 from Kenneth Walker III in Kansas City is enough to make some Seahawks fans do a double take, but it shouldn’t change the way Seattle views the deal it made. The same goes for Boye Mafe and Riq Woolen. Nice games elsewhere don’t automatically turn into seller’s remorse.
That’s not how this organization thinks, and it hasn’t been for a while. Seattle has built its identity around the idea that the whole is bigger than any one name on the back of a jersey. The belief in backup quarterback Drew Lock, the phrase “ready squad” instead of practice squad, and the Mission Over BS mindset all point in the same direction: ego doesn’t get to run the show at Lumen Field.
Head coach Mike Macdonald put that attitude in plain English after Seattle beat the Rams for the right to demolish the Patriots.
“We did not care.”
When Michael Strahan asked about the doubters, Macdonald added, “It's about us. It's always been about us and what we do, and now we're going to the Super Bowl.”
That same thinking applies to the 2026 version of the Seahawks. Walker can rip off 173 yards in KC.
Mafe can force a fumble and come up with a key sack. Woolen can erase wideouts.
None of that changes the one question Seattle cares about most: who is here in 2026?
John Schneider wasn’t about to hand out massive contracts to rotational players. Boye Mafe got $60 million, but he played exactly 50 percent of the defensive snaps. That’s a lot of money for production that looked awfully close to Derek Hall’s, and Hall is on the books for one-tenth of that.
Coby Bryant landed $40 million from the Bears, though he won’t get a chance to prove that value in Chicago this season. Seattle, meanwhile, has Ty Okada and Rodney Thomas ready to handle the job for barely over $1 million apiece.
Riq Woolen took a one-year, $12 million deal with the Eagles, and the Seahawks had already accepted that he wasn’t coming back at any price. Nehemiah Pritchett, like Thomas, showed Seattle was prepared to move on.
Walker is the one that can make this feel a little more complicated, because he may end up leading the league in rushing. But Seattle had him in a split backfield with Zach Charbonnet, and that matters.
You can make the case Walker is the better pure runner. Most people probably would.
The Seahawks, though, clearly valued Charbonnet too.
Pro Football Focus graded Walker as the top back last year at 91.4. Charbonnet wasn’t far behind at 85.1, seventh in the league.
Charbonnet also brings more in pass protection, and he has a clear edge around the goal line with 12 touchdowns to Walker’s five last year. On top of that, he costs just under $2 million, which is $58 million less than K9.
That’s the kind of math Seattle is happy to live with.
The Seahawks don’t spend much time worrying about what former players do once they leave. Their focus stays on the players in the building and what those players can do for this team.
If Walker, Mafe and Woolen have big seasons, fine. Just don’t expect Seattle to lose sight of the bigger picture.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Have A Surprise Week 2 Spark Fans Will Love
Sam Darnolds hip and glute issue has opened the door for a different look under center in Week 2, with Drew Lock expected to start for Seattle. It also puts Jalen Milroe in position as the backup, and that alone gives the Seahawks a little extra intrigue heading into the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Dan Graziano of ESPN noted that Milroe could be sprinkled in for gadget or trick plays, which makes sense given the value his running ability can add to an offense looking for an edge. Even if he is not taking over the game plan, the possibility of Milroe popping up in a key spot gives Seattle a wrinkle worth watching as it tries to create opportunities against Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Week 2 Availability Problem Against Arizona
Tory Hortons return to full practice was one of the brighter notes in Seattles build toward its Week 2 meeting with Arizona, a welcome sign after he spent much of his recovery away from the field following a tibia fracture. After missing so much time since last season, simply getting Horton back into a full session matters for a team trying to settle into the early part of the schedule.
The injury report, though, was hardly clean. Sam Darnold was held out with a glute injury, Nick Emmanwori was limited by ankle and hip issues, and Ty Okada and Cooper Kupp were among the other players who were limited or did not participate. For a Seahawks team trying to sort out its availability picture before facing the Cardinals, the bigger question now is how many of those names will be ready when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Macdonalds Defense Is Changing How Fans See These Seahawks
Mike Macdonalds defense is starting to change the way people look at these Seahawks, and Sunday offered another reminder of why. Seattles unit came up big late, turning the fourth quarter into a showcase with three interceptions and three sacks, the kind of closing stretch that can flip the mood around a team in a hurry. Macdonald credited both his coaching staff and his players for the way they adapted and carried out the defensive plan, which has become a defining feature of this group.
The bigger picture is just as striking. Seattle has now gone 29 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, a run that speaks to how consistently this defense has controlled the ground game. And with uncertainty still hanging over the return of starting quarterback Sam Darnold, the Seahawks may need that edge on defense even more as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]